An insulation barrier layer is formed using an insulating material expressed by a composition formula of Al—Si—O or Si—O—N. The insulation barrier layer is therefore able to have improved dielectric strength, developer resistance, smoothness, and heat radiation.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A magnetic sensor comprising a multilayered film and electrode layers formed on upper and lower sides of said multilayered film, said multilayered film including an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer of which magnetized direction is pinned by an exchange coupling magnetic field developed between said pinned magnetic layer and said antiferromagnetic layer, and a free magnetic layer formed on said pinned magnetic layer with an insulation barrier layer interposed therebetween, wherein said insulation barrier layer contains an insulating material having a composition formula of one of Al Si O and Si O N.
2. A magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating material contains Al Si O having Si in a range of not less than 2 at % but not more than 9 at %.
3. A magnetic sensor according to claim 2 , wherein when Si in the insulating material, which contains Al Si O, is calculated in terms of SiO 2 based on stoichiometry in relation to O, a calculated amount of SiO 2 is in a range of not less than 10 at % but not more than 38 at % in the insulating material.
4. A magnetic sensor according to claim 2 , wherein when Si in the insulating material, which contains Al Si O, is calculated in terms of SiO 2 based on stoichiometry in relation to O, a calculated amount of SiO 2 is in a range of not less than 6.1 mass % but not more than 26.0 mass % in the insulating material.
5. A magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein said insulation barrier layer has a thickness in a range of not less than 0.3 nm but not more than 2.0 nm.
6. A magnetic sensor according to claim 5 , wherein said insulation barrier layer has a thickness in a range of not less than 0.3 nm but not more than 1.0 nm.
7. A magnetic sensor according to claim 1 , wherein regularity at a short range occurs in atomic array of said insulation barrier layer, which contains Al Si O, when observing a transmitted electron-beam diffraction image of said insulation barrier layer.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
March 14, 2002
November 25, 2003
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